I interviewed Susannah recently for my podcast, Fashion Originators. What particularly struck me about Susannah was her drive, passion and in-depth shoe industry knowledge. I have met a lot of people in fashion, yet I have never met someone with such a clear love for their industry niche. From our conversation, I gained new and practical insights, resulting in a fascinating (but fun) podcast episode.

Engaging , charismatic and impeccably turned-out, right down to her beautiful red shoes, Susannah was a real treat for the ladies of Farningham WI. Her story of how her love of shoes  and career in footwear developed, and her ‘Top Tips’ for choosing the right footwear were both interesting and informative. She ended with a lively question-and-answer session and took time to chat with our members afterwards, which was much appreciated.  We’d have no hesitation in recommending her – or inviting her back to us!

Susannah came to give a talk to Eltham Palace WI. She came at extremely short notice and gave an outstanding talk about how to find comfort in smart shoes. She was engaging and informative. The ladies thoroughly enjoyed the talk and some of them came to speak to me afterwards about how much they loved the talk and what they had learnt. She immediately connected with our ladies and we would certainly recommend her. We wish her well on her future tours of talks.

Susannah is a very engaging speaker who presented a clear and thorough overview on how to set up a footwear brand. With her positive energy and years of industry knowledge and experience. I felt very comfortable asking her questions and discussing ideas.

Working with Susannah as I prepare for the launch of my brand has been one of the wisest decisions I made this year. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about the industry, both at home and abroad. She brings warmth and personality to her role and has given me plenty of sage advice along the way. I can’t over-emphasize how useful it’s been to have someone with her expertise just a phone call or email away. Someone with whom I can brainstorm and get objective opinions, sometimes just reassurance that everything is on the right track. I can’t recommend her enough. She’s a great resource to have in your corner.

I was so fortunate to have found Susannah Davda. Her expert guidance and seasoned judgements have ushered me through the rough early stages of company development. She is clearly focused on her clients’ challenges and able to direct them accordingly with great wit!! She understands how to navigate through this tricky industry and has the contacts and wherewithal to do so. I look forward to continuing my work with Susannah as she brings out the best in my professional abilities.

Susannah came along just at the right time for me. We had a brilliant discussion and I felt I moved forward leaps and bounds from one session. Since working with Susannah I have found a manufacturer to work with and have started prototyping. She is very professional and likeable.

Susannah was a great help to the start-up; she provided expertise and insight into not only the technical aspects of shoe manufacturing but the entire process of creating a shoe line from start to finish, including business planning. Susannah is thorough and very detail oriented. Her help was a great asset to the start-up. I definitely recommend her.

Due to Susannah’s experience as a professional in footwear, I asked her to visit Leicester College to deliver a talk to our footwear undergraduates. She was extremely positive about passing on her knowledge. Her presentation was informative, engaging and invaluable to the students. I strongly recommend Susannah.

Our students said: “Susannah’s speech was a fantastic experience.”  “Susannah’s guidance and consultancy are going to be used for our future business.”

Susannah helped me develop the technical aspect of my shoe design from concept to spec. sheet. She is a pleasure to work with and her input was invaluable.

I have been working with Susannah since 2015 on a footwear project. At all times she has been extremely professional, helpful and patient with the process with me. I am new to the industry so while I have little experience I have a fantastic guide in Susannah!

I would highly recommend Susannah to anyone looking for assistance in the footwear industry. Susannah went above and beyond what I was expecting when I hired her. She is an excellent communicator and is easy to work with. Thank you Susannah!

Susannah has been a fantastic supporter of Smart Works, volunteering her time and expertise to help style our clients. Susannah was one of our key speakers at our recent Smart Works Inspire speaking event entitled “Life Lessons Every Woman Should Know”.

Susannah recently gave a fantastic talk for us at the Smart Works Inspire ‘Life Lessons’ speaking event. She had the audience captivated and we all came away having learnt something new. From teaching us how to choose the right fabric to how to spot an uncomfortable shoe just by looking at the heel, Susannah showed us that there is a lot to think about in order to get it right for the customer. I would recommend both shoe manufacturers and shoe shoppers have a chat to Susannah to pick up some tips!

As part of our careers themed morning, Susannah delivered a key note to students outlining her qualification and career trajectory. Susannah was great to work with; she was meticulous in her preparation and delivered her talk – which was perfectly pitched for our 13/14 year old students – in a very engaging way. I will definitely work with Susannah again and wholeheartedly recommend her as a key-note speaker.

I was lucky enough to work with Susannah at Dr. Martens on a collaboration for my MA studies. Having Susannah as my point of contact gave me immediate confidence that the project would be a success. Her friendly demeanour and excellent communication put me at ease from day one. Her knowledge of footwear and love of the product was evident, and thus I trusted Susannah every step of the way when she offered her advice and learnt a lot in the process. I wish her continued success in her career!

Susannah’s knowledge and expertise in the global Women’s fashion footwear market is very comprehensive, which enables her to make really good fact based decisions in her role managing the Women’s footwear line at Dr. Martens, which ensures that the best commercial decisions are made as well as ensuring that the styling and aesthetics were right for the core product as well as the newer more diversified product. She has a very professional approach to her work and is able to work both independently, as well as part of an integrated team and I found her to be an extremely valuable and considered member of the product team during my time at Dr. Martens.

I recommend Susannah, unequivocally. Susannah is creative, hard-working and a true team player. The team really appreciated her diligence, wit and sensitivity to others needs – both customers and team members alike. Susannah has a keen eye for shape, form and function. We loved her designs. I commend Susannah, unreservedly.